Conventional inflatable sport balls, such as basketballs, footballs, soccer balls, volleyballs and playground balls, are inflated through a traditional inflation valve using a separate inflation needle that is inserted into and through a self-sealing inflation valve. A separate pump, such as a traditional bicycle pump, is connected to the inflation needle and the ball is inflated using the pump. The inflation needle is then withdrawn from the inflation valve that self-seals to maintain the pressure within the ball. This system works fine until the sport ball needs inflation or a pressure increase and a needle and/or pump are not readily available.
In conventional sport balls, there is no easy way to relieve the pressure of the ball. A separate pressure relief device may be used to relieve the pressure, such as a pressure relief valve, or a conventional needle may be inserted into the traditional needle valve to relieve the pressure. For sport balls comprising self-contained pump mechanisms, it would be beneficial if the pump mechanism also had the capability to relieve the pressure of the ball as desired.
Additionally, it is difficult to obtain a measurement of the pressure within a conventional sport ball. Most pressure indicating devices are configured for determining the pressure of tires or items that employ an outwardly extending valve stem. Although pressure indicating devices are known for measuring the pressure within a game ball, such devices are generally part of a large separate pump assembly. Additionally, when obtaining a pressure measurement using such known devices, it is common to lose a significant amount of air from the ball while placing the device in communication with the pressurized ball interior. Accordingly, there is a need for a pressure indicating device which is integral with a sport ball. Furthermore, it would be beneficial if the use of such device did not result in an excessive loss of air from the ball.